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Who We Are

RSCJ Profiles

As college sophomore at University of Detroit Mercy, Irene Herbst, RSCJ, experienced a life-changing moment at a mass one evening. “I heard Jesus calling me to religious life during thanksgiving after communion,” she recalls. In the quest to further understand the nature of this call, her spiritual director at the time connected her with a local group of RSCJ. There, she met Mother Wansboro, who mentored her throughout her remaining two years at college.

Sister Maria Schlömer was born in Karlsbad, Germany. She made her first profession with the Mariannhill Missionary Sisters of the Precious Blood in 1962 and her final profession in 1970 and transferred to the Society of the Sacred Heart in 1982 and transferred her vows in 1985. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Kutztown University in 1972 and a Master of Science degree in Counseling Psychology from the Graduate School of Education at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.

Sister Margaret (Meg) Causey was born in Shreveport, Louisiana. She came to know the Society of the Sacred Heart while teaching at Duchesne Academy of the Sacred Heart in Houston. She also taught at the Academy of the Sacred Heart in St. Charles and Newton Country Day School, Newton Massachusetts and served as principal at Oak Hill School before entering the Society in 1986. She made her first vows in 1988 and last year celebrated her 25th Jubilee.

By Rosemary Dowd, RSCJ

Rosemary Dowd, RSCJ, has served the spiritual needs of prisoners for four decades. She was led to this ministry by her reflection on a quotation from St. John of the Cross, “Where there is no love, put love – and you will find love.” Where else, she asked, is love lacking so much as in a prison? “God seemed to be saying to me, ‘This is where I want you,’” Sister Dowd recalled. “I told the provincial, ‘I will do whatever you want me to do, but God is asking me to go to jail.’” The following is a reflection on her ministry.

Born in Nagasaki, Japan, Kinue Matsuzaki, RSCJ, known as Sister Matsu, joined the Society of the Sacred Heart in 1947 in Tokyo and devoted her energies to education. She came to the United States for the first time in 1962, where she baked up to eighty pies a day at Kenwood (!) – and also began to study art.

Melanie A. Guste, RSCJ ’70 is a native of New Orleans, LA. One of ten children, she attended the Academy of the Sacred Heart in New Orleans with her five sisters for 14 years (including pre-K and K) and graduated in 1970. Sister Guste served at the Academy of the Sacred Heart-Grand Coteau and at the Schools of the Sacred Heart in San Francisco. She wrote the story below to share a little about her vocation.

Everyone loves Sister Angela Bayo. But don’t ask her about it. She’s far too modest. She’ll say she’s nothing without the rest of the teachers, that she’s just part of a team, and she’ll subtly steer the conversation toward the merits of some other educator instead.

If it was heritage that drew Carlota Duarte, RSCJ, to southern Mexico, it was the prospect of empowering people through art that convinced her to stay. For the last twenty years, Sister Duarte has overseen the Chiapas Photography Project, which has trained more than two hundred indigenous photographers – Mayan Indians – in creative skills that are enabling them to tell their own story, building dignity and cultural pride in Mexico’s poorest state.

Maura Keleher, RSCJ, celebrated her 50th Jubilee with the Society of the Sacred Heart in 2012. At the time, she was serving as the school archivist at Convent of the Sacred Heart (Ninety-First Street). She recently retired from that position, so we thought now would be a good time to look back at her interview.